No Rejections
by MargaritaVille108
Summary: A story of James Potter's first attempt to ask out Lily Evans.


This is a particularly long one-shot. I could have split it up into a few parts, but I don't think some of the parts would have been long enough to be a full "chapter." Anyway, I hope you like it. Please Review if you can. I know it might be off canon. I'm not really sure when James started pursuing Lily, but I thought third year would be good.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. The credit belongs to the amazing J.K. Rowling.

No Rejections

"Why do third years have to take so many classes?" Sirius groaned flipping through his Care of Magical Creatures textbook after attempting to read a chapter for five minutes before losing focus.

"It's only going to get worse," warned Lupin who was calmly indulged in his essay for History of Magic. "Fifth year we'll have O.W.L.S. That means a lot more work and a lot more studying."

"Maybe, I'll just quit before then," answered Sirius.

"Good luck getting a job then," Remus continued not looking up from his parchment. "Unless you want to live with your parents for the rest of their lives."

"I think you mean the rest of my life," Sirius laughed, "Because if I have to live with them any longer than four more years I'm offing myself." A small smile escaped Remus' mouth. Peter laughed heartily.

"Well there's that," said Remus.

"I know you'll all be heartbroken," stated Sirius. "Prongs, won't you be just torn to pieces?" he asked James who was sitting next to him supposedly reading his History of Magic textbook. He however wasn't reading. He was preoccupied with the goings-on across the room. Three Gryffindor girls, Lily, Alice, and Mary were sitting near the fire giggling about something they were reading in an unidentifiable magazine. After a few moments, the girls closed the magazine and headed toward the Great Hall for dinner.

"Well, I see what our friendship means to you."

"What?" James came back into reality.

"I ask if my untimely death will upset you and you're too busy doing what?" Sirius yanked the book out of James's hand, "reading A History of Magic!" Well, glad to see where your priorities are these day. "Nose in books," he mumbled disapprovingly. James shoved him.

"Looks like it's about time for dinner," Sirius announced taking notice that many of their classmates had left the common room. "Shall we? Unless the chapter about trolls or goblins or whatever you're reading is more important than proper nourishment."

"I'm ready for dinner," answered Peter getting up from his chair.

"We should get some food in him," said Remus looking at Sirius. "He can't talk if he's got food in his mouth. We'll have complete silence for an hour."

"Are you insulting my eating habits?" Sirius asked mockingly wounded. "I'm a growing boy. I didn't get this good-looking by skipping meals to finish a Potions essay."

"No one said you were attractive and that was one time," Remus defended himself.

"You know who I find quite attractive these days?" James interjected casually as they climbed through the portrait hole.

"Who?" asked Peter, interested.

"Evans," he answered matter-of-factly.

"Really?" Sirius questioned, "Miss 'Cheering charms were created by Felix Summerbelb," Sirius imitated Lily's answering a question in Charms the previous day.

"Summerbee," Remus corrected him.

"Why? Sirius continued.

"I don't know," James answered. "You don't think she's attractive?"

"I think she's quite pretty," answered Remus.

"Yeah, she's alright," continued Peter.

"Haven't given it much thought," Sirius answered. "She hangs around Snivellus, which puts her in my bad opinion automatically."

"They don't talk often anymore," said Remus. "I hardly see them together like I used to."

"Ah," Sirius smiled, "I forgot Moony chats with her."

"We have Ancient Runes together," Remus answered.

"So, what do you think then Remus," Sirius looked at him.

"Does James have a shot?" Peter asked. Sirius and James laughed. There were very few girls in school with whom James didn't have a shot and most of them were seventh years.

"I don't know," answered Remus much to Sirius' and James's curiosity. "They're very…_different_."

"Different, how?" asked James.

"Well, for one she's very intelligent and…"  
>"Are you calling me stupid?" James laughed.<p>

"James is one of the best in our year!" Peter defended him.

"I didn't say you were stupid," Remus sighed. "When I say that she's intelligent I mean not only is she smart, but she puts a lot of work into her studies, doing well is important to her."

"Like you?" James smirked. Remus rolled his eyes.

"I don't know if you were too engrossed in your own studies, Moony," Sirius began, "But Prongs here wouldn't put that History of Magic book down back in there." Again Remus rolled his eyes.

"He wasn't reading that book," Remus explained. "He'd been staring across the room for ten minutes…unless it takes him that long to read one page." Sirius was silent for a few moments before saying, "And to think I thought you were focusing on your studies!" to James. "You disappoint me, Prongs."

"All I'm saying is that Lily might not approve of how you spend your time instead of paying attention in class," Remus finished his explanation.

"You like her or something, Moony?" asked James.

"Oooh," taunted Peter.

"'Cause I'll leave her alone if you want her."

"I don't like her that way," said Remus as they rounded the corner to the Great Hall. "I just don't know how you'll handle it if you get rejected."

"Rejected?" James asked. "You're so quick to think so. Who's to say Miss Lily Evans isn't already madly in love with me?"

"Like half the other girls," stated Peter.

"And the other half who love Sirius," added Remus. They dropped the conversation once they sat down to dinner and focused their attention on whether Sirius could finish two full plates of food before James, Peter, or Remus could finish their first.

It had been a week since James's proclamation of the attractiveness of Lily Evans. The days following had been used to discuss whether or not James had a chance.

"Have you actually ever spoken to her?" asked Remus.

"Can't recall," replied James.

"She yelled at us in Potions the other day for being disruptive," said Sirius chewing on a licorice wand as the four boys sat in the Gryffindor common room. "But that's all I can say."

"She might not even know you that well," warned Remus.

"Not know me?" asked James clearly surprised at Remus. "I'm the only third year on the Quidditch team…"

"Probably the best chaser the school has," Peter added.

"I'm one of the best in the year…"

"Always finishes his exams early," Peter again added.

"And," he smirked, "I'm not bad on the eyes." Peter was about to say something when Sirius stopped him, "I'd think about what your next comment would be before you say it."

"Alright," said Remus, defeated, "If you there's no chance of rejection then…"

"Well, perhaps we should get a feel of how Miss Evans feels about our Prongs," interrupted Sirius. "You have to know your enemy in order to prepare your defenses."

"I think it's quite odd, you'd be referring to Lily as 'the enemy,'" said Remus.

"Just a saying, Moony dear. Don't get your wand in a knot. Now, I suppose you're the only chance we have of finding out anything."

"Oh what am I supposed to say, 'Oh you know my mate James, I was wondering if you'd fancy going out with him or not?'"

"I think that's acceptable," said Sirius. "Or you could just casually work him into the conversation. "Say you're going to meet us or something."

"And what if she doesn't say anything about that?"

"Oh you're smart, you'll figure it out."

"Fine," Remus stood up from the chair he had been occupying. "I have some homework I want to get started on…"

"There's a surprise," Peter mumbled receiving a laugh from Sirius and James. Remus ignored him and walked up the stairs to the boys' dormitory.

"Expect to see us around the Ancient Runes classroom tomorrow!" Sirius called after him.

"Class, I expect those translations on my desk at the beginning of next class," said Professor Bathsheba as the third years in her Ancient Runes class packed up their books to leave. Remus slowed his packing in order to finish the same time as Lily, who sat two seats over from him.

"Have you finished already?" he asked.

"I only have a couple more," Lily answered. "I'll probably finish it tonight. What about you?"

"Oh I'm only about half finished," he admitted. "I go to start it, but I always find something else to do." Lily laughed, "I'm the same way with History of Magic."

"Who isn't?" he added causing Lily to laugh again. She was silent for a moment after.

"How are you feeling?" she finally spoke cautiously. This caught Remus off guard. No one in school besides James, Sirius, and Peter knew about his _condition_, but a lot of students, he knew, always wondered. He'd been getting Sirius to spread the rumor that he was ill. People talked about it, but anyone rarely showed any interest in asking him about it. "Oh, I'm fine," he answered quickly, trying to sound believable.

"That's good," she smiled, accepting his response. They reached the classroom door. "Are you heading down to lunch?" she tilted her head towards the corridor that she would take to go the Great Hall almost like she was inviting him to go with her.

"Oh, not now," he answered, saddened by the fact he couldn't keep talking to her. "I'm meeting James, Sirius, and Peter."

"Oh of course," sighed Lily.

"Yeah," replied Remus.

"Honestly Remus, you're too good for them," said Lily lightly.

"Oh, err…thanks," he tried to find an appropriate response. Lily laughed again.

"I'll see you next class?" she asked.

"Yeah," he answered. "Have a nice lunch."

"You too," she continued smiling and turned to walk down the corridor. After she disappeared into the crowd of other students Remus turned the other way and started up the corridor.

"Honestly Remus, you're too good for them?" Sirius popped out from behind a wall imitating Lily with a high, girlish voice.

"I told you it might not be good," said Remus looking at James. James, however did not look affected at all. In fact, he looked happy.

"Now how could she make that judgment without really knowing me? We just haven't been properly introduced," he explained.

"Give that job to somebody else," ordered Remus.

"Oh not to worry Moony, you've done your part and I thank you," said James, patting him on the back. "I'll handle the introductions myself, perhaps after a Quidditch practice."

"He's asking for it," Remus whispered to Peter.

"I think he likes being challenged," replied Peter.

"I think we'll get a drink the first weekend in Hogsmeade," they heard James say already planning out his date with Lily.

It was Wednesday night in the Gryffindor common room. Sirius, Remus, and Peter were waiting on the staircase to the boys' dormitory for James to come in from Quidditch practice.

"Can I go to my room now?" asked Remus tired of waiting on the steps.

"Moony, you don't want to see what becomes of our best mates in his emotional endeavors?" asked Sirius.

"Not really."

"What about you, Peter?"

"I do."

"That's what I figured. Now, Moony, can't you stay for just a few minutes longer. Your potions homework will still look the same ten minutes from now," said Sirius. Peter snickered. Remus, like always, rolled his eyes.

Lily was situated in a large chair by the fire reading her Transfiguration textbook. Minutes later, James climbed through the portrait hole, still carrying his broom.

"Oh bloody…he did not bring that thing in here?" asked Remus almost embarrassed by James's tactics.

"Good move," stated Peter clearly impressed by James.

"Smart lad, reinforcing the Quidditch playing," added Sirius eyes focused on James. James's windswept hair, muddied clothes, and shiny new bruise on his arm were already a dead giveaway he had just come from a rough Quidditch practice. The broom was rather unnecessary. He calmly walked over to Lily, arriving at her chair just as she finished reading and was getting up.

"Oh," she said surprised by how close he was to her chair. James smirked, messing up the back of his hair.

"Evening," he stopped messing with his hair in order to pull his Quidditch glove of his hand. "I'm James Potter," he offered his hand.

"Oh, that's nice," replied Lily, grabbing one of James's figures like it was diseased and limply shaking it, "Except I didn't ask for your name." She smiled quickly before scooting past him and walking up the staircase to the girls' dormitory. James was so taken aback he didn't move for a few minutes. Eventually, he again messed up his hair and walked over to Sirius, Remus, and Peter.

"That was rough, mate," said Sirius almost apologetically. "Guess you can't get 'em all."

"What are you talking about?" asked James seemingly almost completely recovered as if the previous episode didn't happen.

"I think you've got as much a chance getting her as you do being Head Boy," stated Sirius bluntly. Peter stifled a laugh.

"Now, that's an insult," murmured Remus.

"Nah," said James, smiling. "She'll just take some wearing down." He started up the stairs towards the dormitory.

"You amaze me," said Remus.

"I amaze many," James stated. "Why, may I ask?"

"You just got your first complete rejection and you brush it off like nothing happens." James halted on the steps and turned to face Remus, "James Potter does not get rejected, only…delayed."


End file.
